Soffit Suggestions....and drywall

16 years ago

Hello all...

I am gutting an old basement (paneling walls and sheetrock ceiling). I plan on installing sheetrock on the walls and the zero clearance "drop" ceiling I saw at HD that does not require lowering because the holders attach to the joists.

But I have some duct soffits. Do you recommend installing insulation in the soffit? I have very low ceiling and want to minimize the effect. Currently, they have some 1X2 stock as the soffit framing. If I use insulation, it would not really fit in the current soffit. Someone said to use liguid nails and glue foam board the ducts? Is this OK. Any suggestion? Do I even need insulation around the ducts being there was not there now.

Also, Is drywall OK in a basement? Someone said to use Denshield because it is more water resistent. My basement is dry, but can have a damp feel at times like most basements do, so I use a dehumidfier in the summer.

Comments (3)

fnmroberts
16 years ago
Have not heard about gluing anything to a duct, but I would not do that. Ducts will expand and contract with the heat and therefore anything attached to them will need to move.

Dependant on how wide your ducting is, consider spanning it will plywood, attached to a stud wall dropped alongside from the ceiling. Then, drywall over that - or use a paint grade plywood and save the half inch. I spanned our ducting with 3/4" ply set about a half inch below the metal and drywalled over the plywood. Ours is about 5 feet across. I was able to make some center supports via a stud between the hot/cold air runs for about 2/3 of the length. I used cabinet grade plywood because I felt it would hold a flat shape better. Been there over 3 years without a problem.

I drywalled our entire basement and have a cold air inlet to change the air. Never any humidity problems. Photos linked from "My Page".

Good luck, hope this helps.
pete_p_ny
Original Author
16 years ago
So insulation is not required..correct? Will condensation occur creating dripping water without insulation, or no need to worry.

Also, how would metal framing work? A guy at HD said you can use the small 1 inch (not sure of exact size) metal framing pieces and easily cut and install them. Will these work? Or will they rust?
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fnmroberts
16 years ago
If your basement is so damp that condensation is a potential risk on the ducting, I recommend addressing that separately. Dehumidify, seal the foundation or provide ample cold air returns to pass the basement air across the cooling coils.

Insulation will not eliminate all the condensation, but could absorb it and possibly create mold. In my opinion, insulation is not necessary, and especially not for this purpose.

Haven't worked with metal framing, but what I've seen is aluminum which will not rust. I see no reason why metal framing will not work to build your soffit.